City Books Presents: Damian Barr ‘The Two Roberts’

The Two Roberts were two of the 20th century’s most brilliant artists. Collected by major galleries, photographed by Vogue, filmed by Ken Russell, they lived as hard as they worked… scandal was no stranger. Almost forgotten… until now.

Damian Barr’s ‘The Two Roberts’ is a fictional reimagining of the lifelong love between working-class artists Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun. They both won grants to the Glasgow School of Art, meeting on their first day and then becoming lovers. They spent the late 1940s living the bohemian lifestyle in Lewes in Sussex. They were friends and contemporaries of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. Dylan Thomas adored them and Elizabeth Smart hired them as nannies (perhaps unwisely).

Tender, bold and deeply personal, ‘The Two Roberts’ is a timely love letter to these almost forgotten queer Scottish pioneers, exploring what it means to discover your voice as an artist, to find love when it’s forbidden and to change the way the world sees.

Damian Barr is a writer, broadcaster and charismatic host of his renowned Literary Salons. He is the author of the coming of age memoir ‘Maggie and Me’ and the much acclaimed novel ‘You will be Safe Here’ which is set during the Boer Wars.. He is a regular on Radio Four, at one time hosting ‘Front Row’.

You may also like the following events from Ropetackle Arts Centre:

• This Saturday, 16th August, 08:00 pm, An Evening with Leo Green: Music Impresario, Broadcaster and Bandleader in Shoreham-by-sea
• Next Friday, 22nd August, 08:00 pm, The Too Bad Jims + support in Shoreham-by-sea
• This month, 28th August, 08:00 pm, Imogen Ryall sings ‘Porgy and Bess’ with the Chris Coull Quartet in Shoreham-by-sea

Also check out other Arts events in Shoreham-by-Sea, Literary Art events in Shoreham-by-Sea, Workshops in Shoreham-by-Sea.